This Larabar Recipe clone tastes more like a Snickers than health food. Just four ingredients -dates, chocolate, almonds and natural nut butter- combine to create a decadent tasting homemade larabar that will deliver a major energy boost.
This larabar recipe is a little magical. Homemade larabars taste like candy bars, Snickers to be exact, but they’re nutritionally dense and oh-so-good for you. Read on for the tasty details.
I was a little late to the energy bar party. It was a matter of semantics.
Energy bars just sound a little suspect. That’s really not a very appetizing name.
In fact, it sounds like some futuristic food substitute (i.e. Soylent Green. F.Y.I. That’s people, people.) Ew.
There’s another little wrinkle. You see, energy bars sound like healthy food for health food’s sake.
If you tell me to eat something just because it’s healthy, I’ll ask you to pass me a stick of butter and a fork. I’m contrary.
I’m sorry. I do try to reform, but I’m the original rebel without a cause.
Here comes issue number three. I’m cheap. We’ve been down this road before once or twice.
I’ve walked many a time past the gigantic displays of energy bars -Larabars, Clif, Luna, Grouchy, Sleepy, Dumpy- and laughed derisively at the prices. A buck or more a bar?
HA HA! In order to get one for everyone in my family I’d have to spend nearly ten dollars. Ten dollars for one snack? Not happening.
So, given all this information, I would’ve been the last person I would expect to perfect a homemade energy bar. Here’s how it happened.
Energy Bar Recipe
Somehow or another, I found myself with a bunch of dates that were nearing the end of their usefulness. I remembered my step-mom making raw cookies a while back and thought I’d give it a whirl.
Literally. Because they’re made in the food processor. Ba-dum-bum. I’ll be here all week folks. Tip jar is on the piano.
One thing led to another, dates in the food processor led to chocolate chips and almonds. Before I knew it, I was pressing an ugly but delicious paste into a parchment lined pan and whacking the whole thing into the refrigerator to get firm.
The next morning, I pulled the parchment wrapped slab-o-dates/almonds/chocolate out of the pan, cut it into squares and called my small regiment of taste testers to the room.
I blinked, as humans are wont to do, and when I opened my eyes, there were mere crumbs left on the cutting board and I was surrounded by big-eyed, finger-licking, hollow-legged, teen and pre-teen boys who were not-so-innocently inquiring as to whether or not I had a second pan of my larabar recipe hidden somewhere in that refrigerator.
As a matter of fact, I did. Because I had foreseen this possibility, I pressed the mixture into three separate pans but I sure wasn’t going to tell THEM that.
No way. I wanted it to last more than one day.
The next day, I cut up the two remaining pans of my larabar recipe into bars and took them to the farmers’ market in Angelica to share with the other vendors. As the adults scarfed the bars much in the same way my kids had, I heard one vendor say, “These taste like Snickers bars. Are you sure they’re good for me?”
I’m sure.
So where does the Larabar of the recipe title come into all of this? A friend asked me what was held the bars together.
When I told her it was a base of ground dates she exclaimed, “OH! It’s a homemade Larabar!” A quick perusal of the Larabar website proved my friend correct.
And here I eat crow on the first two reasons I avoided energy bars. But I maintain my cheapness with pride and this recipe helps me do that. Cheap, yummy and healthy? I’ll eat to that.
Count me among the converted. For those of you who, like me, have balked at the whole energy bar fad, let me tell you why this is handy to have around.
Tuck one or two in lunch boxes or bags, grab a piece of this larabar recipe when you’re ravenous and still hours from a proper meal. Slide a homemade larabar into a sandwich bag and then into your jacket pocket to sustain you on long fall walks or hikes, or just plain nibble when you get peckish.
It’s mainly fruit and nuts with a little dark chocolate thrown in to boot. How can you lose?
Larabar Recipe
When choosing the dates for your homemade larabars, you should try to choose ones that are moist and not over-dry. This makes your finished bars much better texturally, not to mention making it easier on your food processor to blend the whole shebang.
The choice of raw or toasted almonds for your larabar recipe is a matter of personal preference. I like them toasted for that little extra nuttiness it imparts, but my husband prefers it raw. Either way is delicious!
I use whichever natural nut butter we have on hand -most often peanut butter- but sunflower butter, almond butter, and peanut butter work equally well.
Use these to make Homemade Larabars
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Homemade Larabars
Line a 9-inch x 13-inch straight sided pan with a piece of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges. Set aside.
Fit a food processor with a metal blade. Add the almonds to the processor and pulse until they are uniformly finely chopped (think fresh bread crumb texture.) Add the chocolate chips and pulse again until the chocolate chips are also finely chopped.
Pour the chocolately nuts into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Add half of the dates to the food processor and process until a paste forms and clumps together in the workbowl. Open the food processor and add in 1 tablespoon of the nut butter and half of the chocolatey ground nuts. Replace the lid and process until evenly combined. Scrape into the prepared pan.
Repeat with the remaining dates, chocolatey nuts and nut butter.
When all of the ingredients have been thus processed, wet your hands and use them to press the mixture as evenly over the bottom of the pan as possible. Fold the excess parchment over the bars to cover them and use something flat and heavy to press down firmly on the mixture until it is smooth.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before moving onto the slicing.
To slice:
Use the excess parchment paper like a sling to transfer the now-firm bars from the pan to a large cutting board.
Cut into desired size (I prefer 30 squares) and store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container. An unrefrigerated bar will be good for 48 hours, covered, at room temperature.
Homemade Larabars
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups whole pitted dates (moist ones work best)
- 2 cups raw or toasted whole shelled almonds
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter or sunflower or cashew butter, divided (or more, if necessary)
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch x 13-inch straight sided pan with a piece of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges. Set aside.
- Fit a food processor with a metal blade. Add the almonds to the processor and pulse until they are uniformly finely chopped (think fresh bread crumb texture.) Add the chocolate chips and pulse again until the chocolate chips are also finely chopped.
- Pour the chocolately nuts into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add half of the dates to the food processor and process until a paste forms and clumps together in the workbowl. Open the food processor and add in 1 tablespoon of the nut butter and half of the chocolatey ground nuts. Replace the lid and process until evenly combined. Scrape into the prepared pan.
- Repeat with the remaining dates, chocolatey nuts and nut butter.
- When all of the ingredients have been thus processed, wet your hands and use them to press the mixture as evenly over the bottom of the pan as possible. Fold the excess parchment over the bars to cover them and use something flat and heavy to press down firmly on the mixture until it is smooth.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before moving onto the slicing.
To slice:
- Use the excess parchment paper like a sling to transfer the now-firm bars from the pan to a large cutting board.
- Cut into desired size (I prefer 30 squares) and store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container. An unrefrigerated bar will be good for 48 hours, covered, at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
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Love Homemade Larabars? You might love these other homemade treats!
- How to Make Croissants
- Homemade Candied Jalapenos
- Easy Salted Caramel Fudge
- Homemade Cool Ranch Doritos
- Homemade Spicy Taco Seasoning
- One-Hour Sandwich Bread
This post was originally published August 30, 2011. Updated August 30, 2017 and again in February 2021.
Reader's Thoughts...
Richard W says
What is the shelf life if kept refrigerated?
Traci G says
I have made these a couple of times now. I sometimes switch out a different type of nut to use what I have on hand. Always delicious. Thanks for the recipe! My family loves it
Rebecca says
Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Traci! I’m so glad it is flexible for you!
Adrian says
To press them solidly for less crumbling a, I fold over the parchment paper and then use another pan the same size on top of it to press down.
Rebecca says
Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and share that excellent tip, Adrian!
Brennan N says
Hey! I made these, they taste amazing thank you for the recipe, one thing, my bars stayed very sticky, any ideas on how to get them to be less sticky?
Rebecca says
Hey Brennan! I’d suggest maybe increasing the nuts a bit. 🙂 Dates can be VERY sticky!
Erika says
I bought figs instead of dates (oops) but made them anyway with a mix of other dried fruits that I picked up at my local organic food market (a pre-mix of raisins, blueberry, pomegranate, goji berries, and mu!berries). Results were outstanding! It tastes more like a fruit and nut bar than snickers but definitely does not suck. Will be making again!
Rebecca says
I cannot imagine anything with that combination of ingredients would be anything less than delicious!!! YUM! I’m glad you liked them and thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Tammy J Wood says
What could I use in place of the chocolate?
Rebecca says
Hi Tammy- I’m not sure… this recipe was developed to be made with chocolate. Maybe carob? (I’m not personally a fan of carob, but some folks like it. To be very clear, though, I have not tried that, so I can’t speak to whether it’ll work well or not.)
Melanie Cantin says
Hi!
Looks pretty yummy!
I was wondering if it’s possible to freeze the bars for longer storage?
Do you think the texture will be altered when thawed at room temperature?
I would keep the bars in the freezer and take out the amount I need for my multi-day camping trip the day before departure.
Thank’s
Rebecca says
Hi Melanie- I haven’t tried it, but you could certainly experiment by freezing a couple of bars and thawing them out. It won’t hurt them nutritionally. 🙂 If you do give it a go, please let me know how they turn out!